To make a “Car won’t start” post is just about my last resort, but this issue has left me scratching my head. My 67 started off by having an intermittent starting issue. Turn the key and nothing happens. After a few attempts at starting and jiggling the wires behind the switch it finally starts and drives home without issue. Take the car out the next day, drives fine until that evening have the same issue and “fix” it the same way. The next day it happens again and I notice that the lights would not come on either like the battery was completely dead. Then before I was about to get a ride home I tried the lights again and they magically came on and the car started. So I decided to not daily the car until I can solve the issue. For awhile I could still go out and start it, but the likely hood of it starting became less and less until it no longer starts no matter how many times I try. The lights still come on and the battery holds full charge, so nothing is drawing power. Here is a list of everything I have done in an attempt to fix it:
-Inspected all wiring/grounds in the starting/ignition system and fixed a few potential problem areas
-Replaced alternator wiring harness as the old one was in pretty rough shape and needed to be replaced anyway
-Installed a battery from a working 67 Mustang
-Replaced the solenoid to starter wire
-Replaced starter, the old one was showing symptoms of going bad
-Checked and cleaned battery negative cable ground point on the engine block
-Replaced the ignition switch, starter solenoid, and voltage regulator
-Checked the neutral safety switch to make sure it hasn’t melted on my headers or become disconnected
At this point, I’ve done just about everything I know to do. The lights still come on, both blinkers work, and emergency blinkers work. Whenever I place the key in the start position I do hear a clicking which I’ve tracked down to a relay under the dash. I can’t see a P/N on it, so I’m not sure of its function or if that is even a clue, but it is located on a bracket that holds other relays. Also the car is equipped with a tilt-away column, is there anything in that system that can go bad and cause a car not to start? I moved the column a few times and tried to start it with no luck. I would really appreciate any suggestions y’all may have.
I know you stated you checked the neutral safety switch but it may look fine on the outside but the guts could be degrading. Do the reverse lights work with just the ignition on and transmission switched to reverse? Engine can be off. The starter lockout and and reverse lights are unique circuits but in the same housing. So this could indicate something.
It’s possible to bypass the safety switch on a temporary basis. Reads like you have the electrical skills to perform a trial. Could you test any of the parts you took off? Don’t dismay as I have found multiple issues that conspire with each other to degrade the voltage etc…
I agree that the neutral safety switch might be a good place to start. The second place I would look is at the tilt/swingaway steering wheel wiring and switch.
Neither of those would cause the “no lights” condition you mentioned, which is more likely due to a faulty connection at the battery or ground. You may have fixed that issue—when was the last time that condition happened?
Is the starter solenoid receiving a signal from the ignition switch? A way tell for certain is to put a test light on that wire and ground the light itself, turn the key to ‘start’ and see if that light illuminates. If it does then you are closing that circuit, if not then there is a short somewhere between the solenoid and the ignition switch. The wire in question is red with a white tracer. That wire should not go to a relay beneath the dash of which there are 3 being the Emergency’s, turn signal indicators and the turn signal relay. This wire is too connected to the neutral safety switch. You should see that harness in the engine bay going out of the firewall then down towards the transmission. the other related wire on this harness is black with a red tracer.
@Gaugster - The reverse lights do not come on when placed in either on or start with the transmission in reverse. I could test the old components I removed, but it seems that none of the suspected culprits were the issue.
@Midlife - I will look into bypassing the switch in the morning and will let y’all know what happens. I think you may be right about the having fixed the light issue, some of my ground connections had gotten to be pretty dirty and I haven’t had any light issues since I’ve cleaned them.
@Pirate - I just went to test that as you described. I attached the test light wire to the red w/ white tracer wire on the solenoid post and the light to the battery ground and had no light. So maybe that wire has a break in it somewhere?
If the steering column is not properly locked back into the straight position the car will not start. That is a part of the safety function of the column.
It might also be helpful if you could provide a little more information on your car. You tell us that it is a 67. Is it a standard or an XR-7? There were also a few changes made to the wiring part way through production so adding your cars build date may be helpful as well.
@CATHOUSE - What part of that system exactly would prevent the car from starting? Is it the plastic switch on the column that looks like a door switch?
The car is a standard, and I believe it has a November 16, 1967 build date if I read the code (16L) correctly.
Just wanted to follow up on this post. Life got in the way of me being able to work on the car until today. Upon looking at the tilt-away switch I found one of the wires from the back had popped out. I put the wire back in and it has been starting consistently. I figured I should follow up in case someone else googles this issue some day so they can see the symptoms and fix. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and help, it is greatly appreciated!
Awesome! I just fixed one and perhaps two electrical issues I have been confronted by this season. Someone else’s work were they just used electrical tape to connect a main power feed wire. They weren’t even twisted together.
My blower motor went intermittent and recently stopped all together. Found and fixed that. I’ve also had my interior dash lights PLUS exterior driving lights go on the fritz and be intermittent. Hoping for the “Killed two birds with one stone” result. Slightly concerned that the power feeds have been rewired over the years as it seems odd that the blower motor, interior dash lights and exterior parking lights are all sourced from a single power feed.
Slightly concerned that the power feeds have been rewired over the years as it seems odd that the blower motor, interior dash lights and exterior parking lights are all sourced from a single power feed.